United States: Environment

Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) reissued Oregon’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Stormwater Discharge General Permit No. 1200-Z (1200-Z General Permit), which regulates industrial stormwater discharges to waters of the state. The new 1200-Z General Permit, which took effect on July 1, 2026, reflects several significant changes from the previous 1200-Z permit issued in 2021.

State attorneys general across the nation took significant enforcement actions during the week of August 28-September 2, 2026, addressing child safety on social media platforms, environmental regulations, labor practices, and firearms laws. A historic $17 billion settlement with Meta Platforms highlights growing state-level scrutiny of technology companies' impact on minors, while multistate coalitions challenged federal environmental rollbacks and defended state consumer protection measures.

Industry stakeholders should anticipate multiple data center-related bills addressing water, power, local regulatory authority and tax incentives, with increased scrutiny of development practices and community engagement.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) has developed new resources to help companies prepare for the first round of Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reporting under Senate Bill 253 (SB 253).

A federal court has blocked New York's Climate Change Superfund Act, which sought to recover $75 billion from fossil fuel companies for climate adaptation projects. The ruling found the Act's strict liability scheme preempted by federal law, mirroring rejected climate tort claims. With Vermont's similar law still pending and the Supreme Court set to hear related arguments in October 2026, this decision could reshape how states pursue climate-related cost recovery from energy companies.

The International Maritime Organization's (IMO) proposed Net-Zero Framework (NZF) represents an ambitious international effort to decarbonize the maritime sector. The initiative establishes a target of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from international shipping by or around 2050.

California environmental regulators are advancing significant changes to pollution monitoring and enforcement across multiple sectors. From the EPA's proposed elimination...

On Aug. 11, 2026, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order No. 2026-5 (the order), directing city departments to take immediate steps to strengthen oversight of data center development and calling on the Chicago City Council to enact a temporary moratorium on new data centers and the material expansion of existing facilities.

Chicago has become the latest city to push back against new data center development. On August 11, 2026, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson signed Executive Order 2026-5, titled “Protecting Chicagoans’ Clean Water, Clean Air, Energy Affordability, and Quality of Life.” The Order establishes an enhanced regulatory framework for data center development in Chicago. In the Order, the Mayor calls on the City Council to enact a temporary moratorium on new data center construction and material expansions of existing facilities.

A federal court has issued the first ruling on the constitutionality of state extended producer responsibility laws, upholding Oregon's Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act against industry challenges. The decision addresses critical questions about whether EPR programs violate the Commerce Clause and Due Process protections, with implications for similar legislation in California, Colorado, and other states. Companies subject to Oregon's EPR regulations must continue complying with registratio

On July 29, 2026, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) granted Alaska final authorization to administer its hazardous waste management program under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Alaska is the 49th state authorized to administer most aspects of the federal RCRA hazardous waste program and the first state in more than 25 years to receive initial authorization.

A federal district court in Oregon has issued the first merits ruling on the constitutionality of a state packaging extended producer responsibility law, upholding Oregon's Plastic Pollution and Recycling Modernization Act after a five-day bench trial. The decision rejected constitutional challenges under the dormant Commerce Clause and Due Process Clause, finding that the state's waste management and pollution reduction interests justify the regulatory framework. This landmark ruling could significantly in